Shore Gate Golf Club
"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer
(Played on May 12th, 2020)
Coronavirus has put a bit of a hitch in our summer plans. When we were not allowed to play golf for a month and a half here in New Jersey, we all had to sit inside and find things to keep our minds occupied as we slowly went insane. Thankfully, our governor finally allowed our courses to open up in the beginning of May, so Colman and Chris decided to take full advantage and play a course we had not yet played. That is how we found ourselves down the shore at Shore Gate Golf Club.
Shore Gate Golf Club has a private club atmosphere, but it is fully open to the public. While the greens were recently aerated which put a bit of a damper on the round, it did not take away from just how outstanding the rest of the course was.
The course is tight. Keeping the ball in the fairway is the key to playing decent. Stray a bit too far one way or another, and bogey or worse comes into play quickly. Going for the hero shot is usually a recipe for disaster, so pitch the ball back into the fairway if you are out of position.
One of the key characteristics of the course is giant, Pine Valley-esque bunkers. Most players will end up in some of these bunkers throughout their round. If your bunker skills are not up to par, you will have a rough day. If your bunker skills are pretty good, you will probably enjoy having plenty of opportunities to pull off amazing bunker shots.
A few examples of the bunkers we faced during the round:
As you can tell, both Chris's found the sand multiple times during their round. It was a common theme for the round.
While the sand was commonly a feature on the course, there were many great holes during the round that we would love to get another chance to play.
The 6th hole, shown above, is a reachable par five with a good drive and a solid approach. The hole bends slightly to the right, favoring those who fade the ball. While neither Chris's were able to reach the green in two on their first time around, if they got another crack at it, they would certainly give it a better effort than their first.
The finishing hole on the front nine, featured below, is a 600+ yard par five that is surely a three-shot hole for most players. A drive up the right side will leave you with plenty of room to lay up safely and avoid massive lake that can come into play for those who hook their tee shots and are forced to hit their lay ups over the water. Colman was one of those who found the water with his lay up, while Chris took the safer route, but because the course is not easy, they both ended up with double bogey 7s.
Both Chris's agree that the back nine is the more fun of the two nines, and plays slightly easier than the front. After three straight par fours of varying lengths, the fun really picks up on the par five 13th. It plays long and uphill, with sand everywhere you look.
It should be mentioned that at this time the wind has really picked up, and Colman and Chris were struggling quite a bit as they were coming to the finish. However, they were very surprised that even though they were tired, the back nine keeps you very invested and forces you to stay focused.
The following hole, the par three 14th, is one of the shortest on the course, but that does not mean easiest. The green is not very big and deep bunkers guard the front and back. Unfortunately, they forgot to get a photo of the hole, but it was Colman's favorite on the course.
The par four 15th also is a challenging hole that most players can put away the driver and play for position. If you hit the ball too far to the right, you risk ending up in a pond that Chris found when he decided to hit driver instead of his three wood.
The final three holes are a great mix of finishing holes that will make you want to come right back out and play again. The 16th hole is a par five that is certainly reachable in two, but it does play uphill and requires well-struck shots in order to play it correctly. The hole doglegs sharply to the left with a tree blocking a portion of the green, so high shots hit into this green will be needed in order to successfully reach it.
The par three 17th is a tough par three with a wild green that can have a multitude of pin positions on any given day. The photo does not quite do the green justice with how crazy the slopes are on this hole. A two putt par is a great achievement.
The finishing hole featured above is another great medium length par four with thick trees running up both sides, and sand effortlessly placed everywhere to catch an off-line tee shot. Not too far away is the clubhouse where members and public players are certainly watching from the quaint clubhouse to see how you finish. Both Chris's managed to make bogeys to finish a tough, windy round of golf at Shore Gate.
"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer
(Played on May 12th, 2020)
Coronavirus has put a bit of a hitch in our summer plans. When we were not allowed to play golf for a month and a half here in New Jersey, we all had to sit inside and find things to keep our minds occupied as we slowly went insane. Thankfully, our governor finally allowed our courses to open up in the beginning of May, so Colman and Chris decided to take full advantage and play a course we had not yet played. That is how we found ourselves down the shore at Shore Gate Golf Club.
 |
| Chris Pusey on the opening hole at Shore Gate Golf Club |
Shore Gate Golf Club has a private club atmosphere, but it is fully open to the public. While the greens were recently aerated which put a bit of a damper on the round, it did not take away from just how outstanding the rest of the course was.
The course is tight. Keeping the ball in the fairway is the key to playing decent. Stray a bit too far one way or another, and bogey or worse comes into play quickly. Going for the hero shot is usually a recipe for disaster, so pitch the ball back into the fairway if you are out of position.
 |
| The approach from the fairway at the par four 2nd hole at Shore Gate |
One of the key characteristics of the course is giant, Pine Valley-esque bunkers. Most players will end up in some of these bunkers throughout their round. If your bunker skills are not up to par, you will have a rough day. If your bunker skills are pretty good, you will probably enjoy having plenty of opportunities to pull off amazing bunker shots.
A few examples of the bunkers we faced during the round:
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| Bunker stairs are always a fun sight to see on a golf course |
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| One of the giant waste bunkers on the par four 7th hole running almost all the way to the green |
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| Colman in the waste bunker on the par four 7th |
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| Chris hitting his bunker shot on the par five 13th |
As you can tell, both Chris's found the sand multiple times during their round. It was a common theme for the round.
While the sand was commonly a feature on the course, there were many great holes during the round that we would love to get another chance to play.
 |
| Chris teeing off the par five 6th at Shore Gate |
The 6th hole, shown above, is a reachable par five with a good drive and a solid approach. The hole bends slightly to the right, favoring those who fade the ball. While neither Chris's were able to reach the green in two on their first time around, if they got another crack at it, they would certainly give it a better effort than their first.
The finishing hole on the front nine, featured below, is a 600+ yard par five that is surely a three-shot hole for most players. A drive up the right side will leave you with plenty of room to lay up safely and avoid massive lake that can come into play for those who hook their tee shots and are forced to hit their lay ups over the water. Colman was one of those who found the water with his lay up, while Chris took the safer route, but because the course is not easy, they both ended up with double bogey 7s.
 |
| Colman hitting his drive on the par five 9th |
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| The lake that guards the left side of the par five 9th |
Both Chris's agree that the back nine is the more fun of the two nines, and plays slightly easier than the front. After three straight par fours of varying lengths, the fun really picks up on the par five 13th. It plays long and uphill, with sand everywhere you look.
It should be mentioned that at this time the wind has really picked up, and Colman and Chris were struggling quite a bit as they were coming to the finish. However, they were very surprised that even though they were tired, the back nine keeps you very invested and forces you to stay focused.
 |
| Colmans drive on the par five 13th hole |
The following hole, the par three 14th, is one of the shortest on the course, but that does not mean easiest. The green is not very big and deep bunkers guard the front and back. Unfortunately, they forgot to get a photo of the hole, but it was Colman's favorite on the course.
The par four 15th also is a challenging hole that most players can put away the driver and play for position. If you hit the ball too far to the right, you risk ending up in a pond that Chris found when he decided to hit driver instead of his three wood.
 |
| Colman hitting his three wood perfectly on the par four 15th. |
The final three holes are a great mix of finishing holes that will make you want to come right back out and play again. The 16th hole is a par five that is certainly reachable in two, but it does play uphill and requires well-struck shots in order to play it correctly. The hole doglegs sharply to the left with a tree blocking a portion of the green, so high shots hit into this green will be needed in order to successfully reach it.
 |
| Colman teeing off the par five 16th hole |
The par three 17th is a tough par three with a wild green that can have a multitude of pin positions on any given day. The photo does not quite do the green justice with how crazy the slopes are on this hole. A two putt par is a great achievement.
 |
| The large undulating par three 17th green |
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| Chris Pusey on the par four 18th at Shore Gate Golf Club |
The finishing hole featured above is another great medium length par four with thick trees running up both sides, and sand effortlessly placed everywhere to catch an off-line tee shot. Not too far away is the clubhouse where members and public players are certainly watching from the quaint clubhouse to see how you finish. Both Chris's managed to make bogeys to finish a tough, windy round of golf at Shore Gate.
Here are a few more photos from our day at Shore Gate Golf Club:
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While Covid19 has put a bit of a damper on the year, we hope to get out to as many rounds as we can this summer. Time will tell, but we have a few big plans this year that we seriously hope happen.
Follow us on Instagram @TheSundayGolfers for daily photos of our rounds. Some photos together, some separate, but typically every day.
- The Sunday Golfers
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| We <3 bunker stairs |
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| Chris in the fairway on the par four 3rd |
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| Chris in the bunker on the par five 6th |
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| Chris hitting his approach into the par four 7th green |
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| The long par three 8th hole |
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| Another Chris photo on the par four 10th |
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| Colman teeing off on the par four 11th |
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| The green of the par four 12th and the fairway of the par five 16th |
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| Colman on the par three 17th |
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| Chris posing with the proper social distancing mask |
While Covid19 has put a bit of a damper on the year, we hope to get out to as many rounds as we can this summer. Time will tell, but we have a few big plans this year that we seriously hope happen.
Follow us on Instagram @TheSundayGolfers for daily photos of our rounds. Some photos together, some separate, but typically every day.
- The Sunday Golfers
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